For the first time three Indians - Malvinder Mohan Singh, CEO and MD of India's largest pahrmaceutical firm, Ranbaxy Laboratories, Ramaprasad Reddy, chairman Aurobindo Pharma and Rajesh Jain, joint managing director, Panacea Biotec are the first Indian drugmakers to be named as the 40 most influential people in the global pharmaceutical industry by the UK's SPG Media, publishers of the annual 2008 World Pharmaceutical Frontiers magazine, based on the results of a survey.

The five Indian on the list are:

• Drugs controller M Venkateshwarlu at No 16, who moved up No 22 last year
  
• Ranbaxy CMD Malvinder Mohan Singh at No 21, a new entrant ot eh elite league
  
• Ranjit Shahani, Organisation of Pharmaceutical Producers of India at No 24, who moved up from No 38 last year
  
• Ramaprasad Reddy, chairman Aurobindo Pharma at No 35 making it to the list for the first time
  
• Rajesh Jain, joint managing director, Panacea Biotec  at No 40, also a new entrant to the list

Organisdation of pharmaceutcal producers of India, Ranjit Shahani, formerly with  ICIC group, Ranjit Shahani, who has been CEO of Roche Products and vice-chairman and managing director of Novartis India (See: In the giving phase of life) was ranked last year on the list at No 38 and front ranker at No 16, Drugs controller M Venkateshwarlu was also on last year's list at No 22.

These Indians share the honours with the likes of Bill and Melinda Gates (No 3, who were at the top spot last year), former US President Bill Clinton (No9, unchanged since 2007) legendary investor Warren Buffet (No 25), avtivist investor Carl Icahn (No 26), both first timers in the list.

The list has been topped by Nobel Prize winners Marloio R Capecchi, Sir Martin J Evans and Oliver Smithes together, followed by international pharma giant Genentech`s chairman and chief executive Arthur Levinson at the second position.

This is the second year of the publication of the Pharma 40. In 2007, the list assessed who would be the key industry players driving innovation and development within the global pharmaceutical industry, and dominated by business and big spenders. Bill and Melinda Gates as the overall winners,  and key figures at Pfizer, Novartis and Bayer Healthcare among the top ten, reflecting the panel's belief that money would shape the pharma sector in 2007. 

This year, however, there has been a shift of power with no sign of any 'big pharma' in the top ten. The exception is the incoming CEO of GlaxoSmithKline Andrew Witty, who has for years been a driving force within the organisation. Innovation is now the key focus, as the number one position, held by Mario R Capecchi, Sir Martin J Evans and Oliver Smithies, proves, notes the publication, adding "Arthur Levinson's number two position reflects this, ranked because of his vision on drug development well aheadof the other big pharma."

"Other inclusions show how regulatory and governing bodies have made an impact. Sir Michael Rawlins, NICE chairman, made it into the top five, demonstrating how the power base has shifted from pharma to those who monitor them. The reason for this refocus from finances to innovation is, inpart, the result of a tightening marketplace, fiercer competition and the opening up of the increasingly dynamic emerging economies of India and China."

The loss of patent protection for a number of best-selling products has meant that business has had to evaluate its attentions to ensure future business development and growth, the publication noted.